Igniter.



ERNEST FELIX KOEHLER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

IGNITER.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed October 18, 1909. Serial No. 523,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST FELIX Konra- LER, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of London, England, have invented an Improved Igniter, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is an igniter by the aid of which lamps, candles, cigars, cigarettes and the like can be easily and conveniently lighted.

In order that the invention may be fully and clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing in Which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 8 is a section on line A. B. and Fig. 1 is a section on line C. D. Fig. 5 is a partial end view.

Now referring to the drawing a is the casing of the igniter, having a prolongation b, within which are located finely toothed racks 0. Upon these racks c bears a spring like advancing member cl with its front end which said front end is formed like a three pronged fork, the side prongs of which rest on the said racks, while the middle prong is adapted to slide between said racks. The rear end of the said advancing member d is solid and suitably bent so as to fit into the casing and it is guided therein by means of a collar 6. The forward portion of the advancing member which projects into the prolongation b is resilient and is in sliding contact with one side of said prolongation, as shown in Fig. 1, the form and resilience of said portion being such that the said prongs are held at all times with a uniform yielding pressure against the ignition strip, hereinafter referred to, said strip being held thereby effectively pressed against the racks 0 whatever may be the position of the advancing member.

f is a spring bearing against the said collar and a pin 9, provided in the solid portion of the advancing member, said spring being adapted to hold the advancing member at in a determined position. it is a handle or knob, arojecting through the slot i of the casing into same and suitably fixed to the advancing member. I

The operation of the igniter is as follows and it may be mentioned that the igniter is to be filled with a coiled igniting strip as used in miners safety lamps :The coiled strip is pushed over the center pin 70, and the outer end of the said strip is passed between the racks and the advancing member. On withdrawing the said advancing member by pulling same on the knob, one point of the ignition strip is struck by middle prong of the advancing member and inflames. On releasing the knob the spring pushes same and also the advancing member, back in their initial position, and the said member advances the strip so that the burning part is pushed out of the prolongation.

The attachment of the rack is effected by pushing the same in a slot provided at the base of said prolongation as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the igniting strip above referred to, otherwise called a match strip, is provided along the central portion of its outer side with a row of points or spots of fulminating material, and that the advancing member at has a central prong 1 adapted to come in contact with and ignite one of these points when the member d is retracted, the outer prongs 2, 2, being arranged to bear on the edge portions of the outer face of the strip. The inclination of said prongs is such that when the member (Z is being retracted, they have a tendency to slide on the match strip without retracting the same. Retraction of the match strip is further prevented by the roughened or serrated edges of the parts termed the racks 0, these being, as shown in Figs. 1, 4:, and 5, the roughened edges of a strip which is substantially U-shaped in cross section. The said roughened edges engage the under side of the match strip and prevent it from moving backwardly with the prongs when the member (Z is being retracted. WVhen said member is being pro ected, the prongs 2, 2, inclined as shown, engage the edge portions of the outer side of the strip and project it. Said prongs by pressing the strip against the racks 0 cooperate with said racks in preventing the retraction of the match strip. The part b, termed a prolongation of the casing, constitutes an outlet for the outer end of the match strip, said outlet being sufliciently elongated to accommodate the member at and the racks or strips 0. The said roughened edges or racks c constitute roughened portions of the outlet engaging the under side of the match strip.

Owing to the fact that the match strip is ignited by an inward movement of the member 03 and projected by an outward movement of said member, the strip is alternately ignited and projected by means within the outlet in the casing, hence the device operates with certainty, the operator having only to retract the member d by means of its handle 72, to cause the ignition of the strip, and release said handle to permit the spring f to automatically project the member d and the ignited portion of the strip. The member d may be termed a strip-igniting and feeding member, adapted to be reciprocated in the outlet of the casing, and having means operated by a movement of the member in one direction for igniting the strip, and means operated by a movement of the member in the opposite direction for projecting the ignited portion of the strip. Since the projecting movement of the member d is limited by the length of the slot '5, the match strip is projected at each operation only a predetermined distance, it being impossible for the user to unnecessarily project and waste the match strip at a single operation of the device.

The resilience of the outer portion of the advancing member and the sliding contact between said resilient portion and the internal surface of the prolongation .or outlet 6 cause the prongs, whether projected or retracted, or in any intermediate position, to bear with a uniform pressure on the match strip, and hold the latter in effective contact with the racks 0 at all times.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters a Patent is 1. An igniter comprising a casing adapted to contain a coiled match strip and having an outlet adapted to guide the outer end of said strip, and a reciprocating member within said outlet having a resilient outer portion in sliding contact with said outlet, and a plurality of prongs pressed thereby against the outer side of the strip, said prongs being arranged to ignite the strip when the member is retracted, and to project the strip a predetermined distance when the member is projected, the said outlet having means bearing on the under side of the strip and cooperating with the stripprojecting prongs in preventing the retraction of the strip.

' 2. An igniter comprising a casing adapted to contain a coiled match strip and having an outlet adapted to guide the outer end of said strip, said outlet being provided with parallel longitudinally extending roughened portions engaging the edge portions of the under side of the strip, and a strip-igniting and feeding member adapted to be reciprocated in said outlet, and having a resilient Y outer portion in sliding contact with the outlet, and carrying a central prong engaging the outer side of the strip midway between its edges, and side prongs engaging the edge portions of the outer side of the strip which are supported by said roughened portions, said prongs being operated by the retraction of the member to ignite the strip, and by the projection of the member to project the ignited portion of the strip from the outlet, the said central and side prongs being pressed simultaneously against the strip by the resilience of the outer portion of said member, and by the contact of the same with the outlet, and the side prongs cooperating with the said roughened portions in preventing the retraction of the strip.

3. An igniter comprising a casing adapted to contain a coiled match strip and having an elongated outlet, one side of which contains a longitudinal slot, a U-shaped strip inserted in said slot and having roughened edges located within the outlet and constituting strip guides arranged to bear on opposite edge portions of the under side of the strip, and a strip-igniting and feeding member adapted to be reciprocated in said outlet and having an igniting prong arranged to bear on the central portion of the outer side of the strip, and operated by the retraction of the member to ignite the strip, and feeding prongs arranged to bear on opposite edge portions of the outer side of the strip and operated by the projection of the member to project the i nited portion of the strip from the outlet, die said feeding prongs cooperating with the roughened guides in preventing the retraction of the strip during the igniting movement of the member.

4:. An igniter comprising a casing adapted to contain a coiled match strip and having an outlet adapted to guide the advancing end portion of the strip, an internal guide in its body portion, and a slot in its periphery, a strip-igniting and feeding member.

having a resilient outer portion located in the outlet and carrying strip-igniting and strip-feeding devices, and a curved inner portion located in the body of the casing, and provided with a handle projecting through said slot, and a spring surrounding said inner portion and bearing on said guide.

5. An igniter comprising 1n combination, a casing provided with an outlet having a slot in its base, said casing being also provided with a slot commencing at the joint of said outlet and extending somewhat along the circumference of said casing, racks composed of two prongs which are provided with teeth at their top edges, and inserted into the slot of said outlet, an advancing member consisting of a plurality of springlike prongs, and a solid portion, said springlike prongs being in contact with the teeth of the racks, a spiral spring surrounding the solid portion of said advancing member and adapted to hold the advancing member in a determined position, a handle fastened to the said advancing member and projecting through the said slot, extending along the circumference of the casing, and a coiled ignition strip located and suitably fastened within the said casing, the foremost end of said ignition strip being led between the racks and the prongs of said advancing member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two snbscribing witnesses.

ERNEST FELIX KOEI-ILER.

Witnesses:

H. V. PEAZEY,

P. LOLSTEIN. 

